Monthly Archives: June 2015

This past Saturday, churches of the ECT Cityserve Network presented the NL Cityfest: Love for New London by gathering together more than 16 churches and organizations of the city with the goal to inform individuals about the various programs that are offered to help and support the community. IASC made their presence noticed in one of the information tables where we talked to people about our services and our mission to help the immigrant community of the area.

The festival took place at Fulton Park and consisted of free food, prizes, music, inflatables, action sports, and many other fun activities for people of all ages. Mayor Finizio started the event with his opening remarks and by the end of the festival more than 1,000 people had shown up, making the New London CityFest a great success!

Governor Dannel P. Malloy has signed a bill aimed at allowing more undocumented students to qualify for cheaper in-state tuition at the state’s public colleges and universities. This House bill changes some requirements of the 2011 law by reducing from four years to two, the number of years of high school education that undocumented students must complete to receive in-state tuition benefits.

Also, students that have special legal status under federal law (i.e. a person with a visa that allows them to stay in the U.S due to human trafficking or other crimes in their home countries) are eligible for discounted state rates as well. According to Malloy, the changes to the 2011 law will help increase the state’s labor market and the economy of the state.

By law, with limited exceptions, undocumented students applying for in-state tuition must:

Live in Connecticut (i.e., maintain a continuous and permanent physical presence, except for short, temporary absences);

Have attended an in-state education institutions and completed at least two years of high school in Connecticut;

Have graduated from high school or the equivalent in Connecticut; and

Be registered as an entering student, or be currently a student at, UConn, a Connecticut State University, a community-technical college, or Charter Oak State College.

Students looking to obtain in-state tuition who meet the above criteria must file a written legal declaration with the institution stating that they have applied to legalize their immigration status or will do so as soon as they are eligible.

On Wednesday, June 3rd, IASC’s Advisory Board met to discuss the organization’s history, mission, and vision in order to collaborate on an action plan as we move forward into the summer months. After some light refreshments, board members brainstormed on fundraising ideas, community outreach, and most importantly, how to be positive contributing members of our community.

As our mission includes helping immigrants heal and integrate, together with the board, IASC strategized how to best serve as an advocate for many within our community and the surrounding area. This has not only helped us to strengthen relationships with other organizations in New London, but will also allow us to adhere to our immediate goals.

We plan on serving an active role in upcoming events in order to learn from community members and further develop our plan of action.

On May 26, 2015 a federal appeals court denied the Obama Administration’s request to lift the injunction on the new executive orders on immigration. President Obama announced the orders earlier this year, expecting to protect large numbers of unauthorized immigrants from deportation. Yet, the announcement resulted in a twenty-six state lawsuit that argued the executive orders “endangered America” and crippled US economic mobility.

Because of the legal injunction, the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) did not begin accepting requests for the expansion of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) on February 18, 2015, as originally planned. Furthermore, the injunction has also suspended the implementation of Deferred Action for Parental Accountability (DAPA).

In May, the appeals court found that the twenty-six states involved did have the legal authority to issue the lawsuit and the program delays remain, leaving many immigrants in a state of legal limbo. Presently, the Obama Administration faces a tough decision on how to appropriately move forward in order to guarantee that the US immigration process is more humane and equitable. Obama intends to ensure that the existing provisions under DACA remain unaffected, and thus far he has been successful, decreasing the amount of deportees over the last few fiscal years. For more information on Obama’s strategic planning throughout the injunction period, please see: http://nyti.ms/1G6qxSb.